NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Event: EJP 175 (175 laps / 185.15 miles)
Round: 21 of 25 (Playoffs Round of 10)
Track: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Location: Loudon, New Hampshire
Date & Time: Saturday, September 20 | 12:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- Hello, Old Friend: This weekend marks the first time since 2017 that the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) has visited New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Nicknamed the ‘Magic Mile’, New Hampshire has seen the series race 20 times at the 1.058-mile track. It is relatively low-banked, but produces exciting action in the North East.
- Niece Motorsports New Hampshire Stats: Niece Motorsports has only competed in one NCTS race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which came in 2017. On that day, TJ Bell finished 16th driving for the organization.
No. 41 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Conner Jones | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
- Jones’ New Hampshire Stats: Conner Jones will make his first-career start in any series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday.
- Shiplett’s New Hampshire Stats: Mike Shiplett will call his first NCTS race at New Hampshire on Saturday. Shiplett is a NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) pole-winning crew chief at Loudon (Cole Custer, 2019), also securing three top-fives and four top-10s in seven series starts at the track. In 2008, Shiplett won his first Cup Series pole here with Patrick Carpentier, and went on to make a total of 10 starts on Sundays at the facility with a pair of top-10 results.
- Recapping Bristol: Conner Jones and the No. 41 team had to overcome a few early setbacks throughout the event at Bristol Motor Speedway. During practice, Jones spun and flat-spotted his tires, cutting his session short. After starting 27th, the team incurred a pit road penalty on the first stop of the night which resulted in a loss of track position. As the race went on, however, Jones and the Crowe Equipment crew began to make up some lost ground and eventually finished in 18th-place.
- Riding Momentum: After he wrapped up the NCTS race at Bristol on Thursday, Jones competed in the CARS Tour event at South Boston Speedway on Saturday night. In the Late Model Stock Series race, Jones came home in the runner-up position with a shot at the victory.
- On the Truck: Jones’ No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from AutoVentive and Precision Vehicle Logistics in his fourth race of the season with the team.
- Quoting Jones: What all went into the decision for you to add a race at Loudon to your schedule?
“I don’t really know, it’s just something new for me personally. New Hampshire is a short track, and I feel like it’s very similar to a couple of places I’ve been to in late models, so I think we should be pretty good there. I think having a full 50-minute practice is going to be a big help to me since I’ve never seen this track before, so hopefully we can take full advantage of that extra track time to learn. I’m looking forward to unloading a fast AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevy on Friday.”
About AutoVentive: AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.
About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.
No. 42 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
- Mills’ New Hampshire Stats: Matt Mills has made one NCTS start at New Hampshire which resulted in him finishing in 23rd-place back in 2016. Mills has competed in three NXS starts at the ‘Magic Mile’, finishing as high as 20th-place in 2019.
- Polinski’s New Hampshire Stats: Landon Polinski will make his first NCTS start as a crew chief at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday.
- On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with DQS Solutions & Staffing and Precision Vehicle Logistics.
- Recapping Bristol: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team advanced through the field to a respectable finish in Bristol. Mills fought a tight-handling truck early on in the race and fell back down the running order through the midway point. Once the final stage began, Mills and team dug deep and made some adjustments which found some speed. Mills took the checkered flag in 16th, which marked his best finish at the high-banked short track.
- Points Rundown: Mills’ 16th-place finish at Bristol widened his points advantage over Jack Wood in the standings to 20 points. Continuing on in the 18th position, Mills is currently 30 points behind teammate, Andrés Pérez de Lara, in 17th-place.
- Quoting Mills: Do you think New Hampshire is a similar track to Milwaukee, or are the two pretty different?
“I’d say New Hampshire is different, but the line does progress and move around throughout the race like Milwaukee has in the past. I don’t think we’ll get up as high on the track like what we were doing in Milwaukee, but it’s just kind of a rhythm track in certain ways. You always have to match the balance of what your truck is doing here to be able to be fast. I think we should be pretty good this week on our J.F. Electric team.”
About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.
About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.
No. 44 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
- Pérez de Lara’s New Hampshire Stats: Andrés Pérez de Lara will make his first-career start in any series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday.
- Rogers’ New Hampshire Stats: Wally Rogers has called two NCTS races at New Hampshire, and helped navigate Ron Hornaday to a top-five finish in his last series start back in 2005. Rogers has earned one top-five and three top-10s in seven NXS races here, including a best run of fourth-place with Kevin Harvick in 2008. In six Cup Series races at this track, Rogers’ best result was an eighth-place finish with Elliott Sadler in 2009.
- On the Truck: Pérez de Lara’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Telcel, a Mexican telecommunications giant, along with associate partners, Claro and Infinitum.
- Recapping Bristol: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the No. 44 team had a fantastic run under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway. Pérez de Lara started the 250-lap event in 16th-place, but found himself up inside the top-10 relatively quickly. After he picked up a stage point in stage two, the rookie made an impressive track position gain on the final restart and nearly drove into the top-five. The team showed determination and kept Pérez de Lara in the fight throughout the entire race, eventually securing a top-10 finish in eighth-place.
- Points Rundown: Pérez de Lara’s eighth-place finish at Bristol gained him a significant amount of points in the standings. Though he remains in 17th-place, the rookie is now only one point behind Stewart Friesen in 16th, and 11 markers behind Matt Crafton in 15th. He holds a 30-point gap over Matt Mills in 18th-place.
- Quoting Pérez de Lara: Since you’ve never raced here before, how have you been learning the track?
“New Hampshire will be another new track for me this year. I’ve done a lot of sim work and film watching with the Chevy group to get ready. The preparation before coming to a track that you’ve never raced before is very important. I feel ready; I’ve studied as much as I can on this track and I think new tracks have been good for the Telcel team and I so far this year. There are several unknowns because it’s a very technical track, so I’ll use all the time in practice as much as I can to learn for this weekend so we’re ready for the race.”
About Telcel: Telcel is Mexico’s leading telecommunications company, providing nationwide coverage, cutting-edge mobile connectivity, and high-speed internet services to millions of users. With over 30 years of experience, Telcel continues to innovate in digital communication, offering solutions that keep people connected anytime, anywhere.
No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
- Currey’s New Hampshire Stats: Bayley Currey will make his first NCTS start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. Currey has raced at the facility three times before in NXS competition, and picked up a 10th-place result in the 2022 race.
- Gould’s New Hampshire Stats: Phil Gould will call his first-career NCTS race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. Gould has competed in six NXS events here, picking up one top-five (fourth with Brian Scott in 2013) and two top-10 finishes along the way.
- On the Truck: Currey’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from DQS Solutions & Staffing, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with J.F. Electric and Precision Vehicle Logistics.
- Recapping Bristol: Bayley Currey and the No. 45 team were well on their way to a top-10 finish in Bristol before getting turned on the final lap of the race. Currey showed speed early on in practice, and qualified in the 13th position. The No. 45 team earned a stage point in stage one, and made track position gains on pit road throughout the night. Currey drove up to ninth in the final run to the checkers, but unfortunately was not able to earn the finish he deserved. He was credited with a 19th-place finish after limping across the line.
- Points Rundown: Currey’s 19th-place result in Bristol keeps him sitting 23rd in the driver points standings with five races left in the season. Entering New Hampshire, the driver is 12 points behind Toni Breidinger in 22nd, and 22 points ahead of Luke Baldwin in 24th-place.
- Quoting Currey: It’s been a few years since you’ve raced at New Hampshire, but what is most important about getting around this place?
“I think braking is really important there because it’s a long straightaway to a relatively flat corner. Being comfortable on the brakes and being able to turn into the corner where you want, especially when it comes to racing against other guys, is really important along with being able to roll the middle. It’s just a standard flat track where it’s tough to roll the middle and easy to lose the handle on your truck. To me, that’s the biggest thing here – maneuverability. What’s nice about this track is the banking is progressive, so if you need to go down and run the apron, you can. If you need to split a seam here and there, you can. You just have the ability to run the corners however you want to.”
About DQS Solutions & Staffing: Guided by a mission to achieve excellence and adaptability, DQS partners with clients to create custom solutions that address unique business challenges. Recognized as Michigan’s fastest-growing company and #22 in the nation on the Inc. 5000 list, DQS drives industry growth while giving back through its nonprofit, Foundation for Pops, and partnerships like the River Rouge School District.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) since 2016. Fielding the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45 trucks, the team has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 200+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. Founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece, the team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.
Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).
